The Forest of Vanishing Stars
Ratings14
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings14
Average rating4.1
Yona has used her knowledge of the wilderness to help hundreds of Jews escape the Nazis. But what happens when a secret from her past emerges and threatens everything? After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what's happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest – and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything. Praise for Kristin Harmel: 'A powerful story of survival and resilience. I couldn't put it down' - Heather Morris 'A cracking story and characters that zing from the page. Totally immersive' - Liz Trenow
Reviews with the most likes.
Enjoyable despite the topic
Very well written, I flew through this book. The descriptions were brilliant and the story moved along well. A few twists were foreseeable, but somehow still managed to surprise.
It was an interesting POV. I know it's fiction, but the theme of good people doing what's right during tragic and evil things like the holocaust is something I often wonder about. Who were they? What motivated them (aside from doing what was right)? How did they cope with the loss? Anger? Not set in a ghetto or internment camp, this story gave a different POV.
I am torn with this one, but ended up at 4 stars because I love the author's writing and the atmosphere it creates while reading.
This one started off so well, different than the usual historical fiction as it had hints of possible magical realism. I was excited for this but it slowly peetered out and disappeared altogether.
The story itself is, of course, haunting, devastating and beautiful at times as well. I could have done without all the romance mixed in as that seemed to just disrupt the story as a whole. For me, anyway.
I actually really enjoyed the parts that dealt with the forest and living off the land. Despite the slower pace throughout, I loved the descriptions and the atmosphere of it.
Overall, a good historical fiction and one I would recommend for fans of the genre.
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